Published on 

Getting Ireland Electric Vehicles Ready – Minister Murphy launches a public consultation on draft building regulation requirements for electric vehicle recharging infrastructure

-       Proposal for all new dwelling houses with a car parking space within the property boundary to be future proofed for electric vehicle recharging points

-       Proposed requirements for new and existing buildings undergoing major renovation to install ducting infrastructure for electric vehicle recharging points

-       Proposed requirements for certain existing non-residential buildings to have at least one recharging point installed by 2025

The Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government, Eoghan Murphy, T.D., today (5th December) launched a public consultation on proposed requirements for infrastructure for recharging electric vehicles in new buildings, and those undergoing major renovation, from 10 March 2020, and for certain existing non-residential buildings by 01 January 2025.

The proposed regulations include the requirement to install infrastructure to facilitate a future electric vehicle recharging point in all new houses with a car parking space inside the property boundary. All apartment blocks with parking spaces inside their property boundary will also require the installation of electric cable ducts (which will allow the future installation of electric vehicle recharging cables). These regulations will ensure that all new homes with a car parking space inside their property boundary will be future proofed to install electric vehicles.

The proposed regulations will help facilitate recharging points for electric vehicles. Electric vehicles are critical to Ireland’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from transport. The public consultation will last two months. The draft regulations fulfil obligations under the EU Energy Performance of Buildings Directive but also exceed obligations by requiring electric infrastructure for new dwelling houses and ducting infrastructure for all new apartments.

The proposed requirements for electric vehicle infrastructure are summarised in table 1 below:

 

Table 1: Summary of draft electric infrastructure requirements for electric vehicle recharging within property boundary

 

Building type

 

 

Requirement

New buildings

and buildings undergoing major renovation

 

Non-residential buildings with more than 10 parking spaces within property boundary.

Ensure the installation of at least 1 recharging point.

Ensure the installation of ducting infrastructure for at least 1 in 5 parking spaces.

Residential multi-unit buildings.

Ensure the installation of ducting infrastructure for every parking space within property boundary.

New (single-unit residential) buildings

New dwelling with car parking space located within the property boundary.

Ensure the installation of appropriate infrastructure to enable the installation of recharging points for electric vehicles.

Certain existing (non-residential) buildings

 

All non-residential buildings with more than 20 parking spaces within property boundary.

Ensure the installation of at least one recharging point by2025.

 

In implementing the above requirements, provisions are included for disability access in accordance with Part M of the building regulations for new buildings.

Commenting on the proposed regulations, Minister Murphy said: “Today we are publishing proposed regulations that will help ensure Ireland has cleaner, more sustainable transport in a low-carbon future. With costs steadily falling, the national transition to electric vehicles continues to become more feasible. Demand for electric vehicles will increase and people will inevitably expect new housing and non-residential car parks to have recharging points. These regulations will help meet those expectations. Going electric on our roads will also help reduce local air pollution, which is to everyone’s benefit.”

“These proposals are aimed at meeting the Government’s ambition of having over 950,000 electric vehicles on the road in Ireland by 2030. That is why I am proposing today that all new residential dwellings with their own car parking space within the property boundary will have to facilitate the future installation of recharging points for electric vehicles.”

These regulations, when implemented, will implement two measures related to Action 74 of the Government’s Climate Action Plan to Tackle Climate Breakdown to “Ensure our regulatory regime for buildings requires the installation of EV recharging infrastructure.”

Minister Murphy concluded: “I would urge all with an interest in this issue to read the proposals and give my department their views before January 20th. I hope to bring regulations into effect early next year so we can implement another important part of our plan for a more sustainable, low-carbon future.”

 

ENDS

 

Notes for Editors

  • More information on these proposals can be found at https://www.housing.gov.ie/housing/building-standards/energy-performance-buildings/public-consultation-review-building
  • Submissions can be made to buildingstandards@housing.gov.ie before 5pm on 20 Jan 2020.
  • The associated Regulatory Impact Assessment accompanying these proposals (published today) sets out a number of expected benefits:
    • A reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and resultant climate change impacts
    • A reduction in local air pollution
    • Increased competitiveness through the encouragement of Irish businesses and industry to develop new innovative energy saving products and systems, thus reducing the need to import such technologies and may provide export opportunities in future years.
    • Increased competitiveness and economic efficiency through the reduced dependence on imported energy
  • Expected costs implications for the proposed requirements for recharging infrastructure:
    • The estimated cost to install cabling in new houses with a car park space within the property boundary is in the order of €150 per house. This is estimated to be 0.06% of construction cost.
    • For a new apartment block with 100 car parking spaces to install ductwork for every space to allow the installation of cables at a later stage approximately is 0.04% of construction cost, which equates to an approximate cost of €100 per apartment for a building.
    • For a new non-residential building with a basement carpark of 100 spaces: 0.06% of construction cost or in the order of €6,500 for the building.
  • The cost impact to non-residential buildings with more than 20 car parking spaces ranges from €1,000 to €3,500. Small to medium enterprises are exempt from this requirement. The cost will only apply to large enterprises. The category of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) consists of enterprises that employ fewer than 250 persons and that have an annual turnover not exceeding €50 million, and/ or an annual balance sheet total not exceeding €43 million.

Costs provided are indicative and are for a notional building. Costs will vary depending on building type, size and location.

  • In the case of dwellings which are associated with parking spaces outside of the property boundary, Development Plan Guidelines are being revised for Local Authorities to address Climate Change in their plans and will include references to sustainable transport policies and  Low Emission Vehicle (LEV) policies to support the implementation of LEV infrastructure through Planning Authority functional areas.These revised guidelines are planned for the end of this year.
  • Home recharging is considered the primary method of recharging for the majority of electric vehicles in Ireland. Recharging at home at night is very cost-effective and is to the benefit of the electricity system as demand is generally low at these times.

 

  • The Government’s Climate Action Plan to Tackle Climate Breakdown contains a target of 950,000 electric vehicles to be on the road in Ireland by 2030.  It also sets out a range of actions to support this target and the uptake of other low-emission vehicles such as compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles.
    • Develop the EV recharging network necessary to support the growth of EVs
    • Develop and implement planning rules and guidelines across residential and non-residential parking locations for electric vehicle recharging infrastructure
    • Ensure our regulatory framework for buildings requires the installation of electric vehicles recharging infrastructure
    • Develop the CNG refuelling network to support the uptake of CNG vehicles

 

  • These regulations will implement two of the measures of Action 74 of the Climate Action Plan to “Ensure our regulatory regime for buildings requires the installation of EV recharging infrastructure” and will be a key action in making progress to achieve the  target of 950,000 electric vehicles by 2030.
  • The provision of electric vehicle rechargers in apartment blocks or other residential areas, where shared private parking is provided, remains challenging due to the lack of dedicated parking and the sharing of costs between residents. The most cost-effective method of installing such infrastructure is during initial construction or when refurbishment work is being carried out.

Ducting Infrastructure is defined in the Energy performance of Buildings Directive as conduits for electric cables and includes all electrical containment for electric cables.

  • The proposed amendments to Part L which are required by the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive have been preceded by a comprehensive inter-agency consultation process involving close contact between the Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government, the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment, the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI), the Office of Public Works, the Department of Education and Skills, the National Standards Authority of Ireland -  I.S. 10101 Technical Committee, the Health Services Executive,  the National Disability Authority, and key industry stakeholders including Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland, Construction Industry Federation, Society of Chartered Surveyors of Ireland, Irish Green Building Council, Engineers Ireland, and the Chartered Institute of Building Services Engineers.
  • These proposed regulations will amend Part L (Conservation of Fuel and Energy) of the Second Schedule to the Building Regulations applicable to both dwellings and buildings other than dwellings. They will fulfil requirements under the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) relating to the requirement to install appropriate infrastructure for the recharging of electric vehicles. Certain proposals exceed the Directive’s requirements:
    • For multi-unit residential buildings (apartment buildings) to ensure the installation of ducting infrastructure for every parking space (the Directive’s requirement was for buildings with more than 10 parking spaces).
    • The requirement for the installation within the property boundary of new dwelling houses with a car parking space, of infrastructure to enable the installation of a recharging point for electric vehicles.
  • Additional requirements of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive are also included in this amendment including a requirement for Building Automation and Control systems on existing buildings with heating or air-conditioning systems with an effective rated output of 290kW by 01 Jan 2025.